Courtesy Photo | Soldiers from the 602nd Aviation Support Battalion, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade,...... read more read more
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CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea – Arriving to a new place can be daunting for anyone, but arriving to a new country where you don’t know a single person is a whole new concept. Many new Soldiers getting to Camp Humphreys in the Republic of Korea can feel this way, but lucky for them at least one unit has figured out a way to make Soldier’s transition to Korea a lot smoother and more enjoyable.
The 602nd Aviation Support Battalion, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade runs a program called FATE (familiarize, adventure, travel, experience) every Saturday after pay-day from around 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. on Camp Humphreys and in the surrounding local area. The program is spear-headed by non-commissioned officers like Sgt. Yuseng Lee, a program tour guide and senior mechanic from the Headquarters Service Company, 2nd CAB, who want to help Soldiers feel more comfortable and confident traveling in Korea.
“As NCOs it is our responsibility to make sure Soldiers are safe while traveling around Korea,” Yuseng Lee said. “If they want to get out and travel, they will be able to do it more confidently now.”
The on-post portion of the program is mandatory and is completed in the morning, but after completion the group breaks apart and the Soldiers who want to continue off-post leave out of the walk-in gate.
Four modes of transportation are taught during the program. They learn about the on and off-post bus systems, the subway and how to use the bus tours to travel around. The Soldiers are even allowed to venture out to eat and shop at some of their destinations.
Staff Sgt. Rudy Lee, is another FATE program tour guide from the Company B, 602nd ASB.
“We have built a really good relationship with the restaurants and shops they go to,” Rudy Lee said. “The more people from our group that go there, the better deals they give us.”
The new Soldiers are asked to bring $30 for transportation and food and are given a chance to interact with the local populous when they have to exchange their U.S. money for Korean currency.
The battalion encourages Soldiers from all over Camp Humphreys to come enjoy the program. They also want to see NCO’s from other units try to replicate the program for their own units.
“The program not only instills confidence in Soldiers to get out there and travel, but also creates something positive for high-risk Soldiers to do,” Rudy Lee said.
The guides said they feel as though Soldiers are very receptive to the program.
“The reaction is phenomenal,” Rudy Lee said. “They go multiple times because they can go to different shops and restaurants each time that they go.”
The FATE Program aims to immerse Soldiers in the Korean culture while making them confident in their ability to travel by themselves if they need to. The program also promotes the U.S. and ROK alliance through person to person exchanges and proves to each Soldier that they can have a great time while stationed in the Republic of Korea.
| Date Taken: | 08.05.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 08.04.2015 22:12 |
| Story ID: | 172179 |
| Location: | PYEONGTAEK, 41, KR |
| Web Views: | 263 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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